It seems Iran’s professional political complainers are not just annoyed at hyper-stylized fictional remembrances of 2000-year-old wars, they also dislike cartoon films made from autobiographical comics!:
Iran has protested to France over the screening at the Cannes film festival of an animated film about a woman growing up in revolutionary Iran, slamming the movie as a “political act”, local media reported on Monday.
“Persepolis”, which stems from a best-selling comic book series by Iranian emigre Marjane Satrapi and is competing for the prestigious Palme d’Or, shows its heroine struggling with the authorities in the early days of the Islamic revolution.
“The Cannes film festival has selected a film about Iran which presents an unreal picture of the outcomes and achievements of the Islamic revolution,” said a letter to the French cultural attache in Tehran carried by the press.
“Could the selection of this film… not be counted as a political or even anti-cultural act on the festival’s part?” said the letter penned by the government-run Farabi Cinema Foundation.
[Thanks to JD for the link.]
Well, sometimes the truth herts.
This is the Mary Jane statue controversy all over again.
If the film is at all faithful to the book, it is political — how could it not be? How could you grow up in Iran in the 80s without taking sides?
In fact, there are films just as critical of Iranian society being made in Iran. This criticism is a purely opportunistic exercise in point-scoring.
Heh, somehow I don’t think Marjane is too bothered by this.
If anything; whatever Iran has to say about it’s own culture portrayal in a liberal, democratic media should be ignored and maybe this kind of attention will open up some of the thoughts and eyes of some of it’s own people to more worldly ways instead of allowing themselves to live in a society that doesn’t allow them to grow up.
I think the most important part of this movie is the timing of its release. It seems to be just another facet of the US drumming up support for military intervention. The propaganda is escalating exponentially. Just look at the way this cartoon is depicted. It reminds me of the old Nazi posters of the Jews with hooked noses, rubbing their slimy hands; sinister eyes.
If anyone can’t see this, or just the possibility that this could be plausible; then shame on you. You should really learn how to de-construct the media.
I’m aware that problems exist in Iran, but i could also list 20 countries in far worse positions regarding human rights. Saudi Arabia is one of the US’ greatest allies and yet has one of the most diabolical human rights records on the planet, so please question what is the real motive of this focus on Iran.
The government of Iran are fools. They deny the truth because it reveals how much a traitor they’re to their own people. I really DON’T care if America and Israel attacked that country. It’s better than the way of life the Iranians are living there. It’s no different from what Iraq was before 2003. I can also see the West concradicting it’s goals [like with Fanco, Po Pot, the Cudan dictator, and the Saudi King] just to win a fake race against the Communist states and any other “threat” to them. So sorry Marjane Satrapi but there WILL be war in Iran….its just a matter of where its coming from.